


Pushing Out the Light

by PraxisDescends



Category: Protean City Comics (Podcast)
Genre: "Snake play", Angst, Anthology, Blood, Dancing, Dr Morris is a mouse, Happily Married, Mildly Voyeuristic, Multi, Romance, So is Mr Morris, Valentine's Day, family bliss, self love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 12:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13704138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PraxisDescends/pseuds/PraxisDescends
Summary: Fracture is walking between realities, witnessing many couples on a single day just looking for a quiet place to sit and watch the sunset.Valentine's Day anthology written to wrap up the 2018 Protean City Fic JamMisc spoilers abound.





	Pushing Out the Light

So many worlds ended in violence.

Fracture had seen countless destroyed in countless ways. It would be understandable to stop seeing the lives torn apart by these endings. They had seen all the darkness and desperation people expelled at the end.

Today was Valentine's Day in Protean City.  
Today would always be Valentine’s Day in Protean City.  
The ways between worlds felt gummier, less rigid and they walked through Protean City. Nobody knew they were there, save the great pressure that was relieved when they moved on without the world ending.

It was borderline voyeuristic, but Fracture was looking for one particular Valentine’s, in one particular Protean City.

Passing through they tried not to stare at the people, they really did...

\---

Alina sat on the sofa in the lounge at PCOY her arm draped protectively over Sage’s shoulder. Reaching out for the remote control, their faces brushed dangerously close together. Alina grinned and stole a kiss. Sage gave her a look of fake outrage, then laughed. Glancing to the door to ensure no one was coming, she stretched up and returned the kiss with a soft, sneaky grin.  
Fracture moved on.

\---

The next place was on fire, Puck walking calmly away from the crackling building his arms wrapped around Arcana: his Arcana. It always twisted Fracture up when they saw it. They knew that there were so few versions of reality where Alina and they were able to be together, and so many more where she found love in others. And no part of them could ever lay claim to Arcana regardless of her feelings.  
But there was something particular about Puck that unsettled them.  
He set her down, and she lowered her hand, finally letting the supporting beam drop on the house. It crashed down thunderously. Puck dropped to his knees next to her, looking down at her with his empty stare. He reached a hand out to brush her face and she twisted herself up to slip his mask off, without putting weight on her bad leg.  
Fracture looked away when they kissed, and Puck set his mask down. They felt the mask’s eyes follow them as they walked away.

\---

“I understand that, but you need to recognise that what you’re asking is not possible...”  
“No! You are not listening. I’m not asking you. It has been two months…”  
“If you could just calm down for a…”  
“Don’t you TELL me to calm down,” she slammed her hands on the countertop, sending papers flying. “How dare you! You have kept my husband for months. I assume here but I have no actual idea. He might be dead for any of you people have told me.”  
Tears stung the corners of her eyes, it was obvious that she was swallowing more, using them to fuel her rage. “You cannot treat people like this. He is a human being, he is my husband and I demand to see him!”  
Security arrived to take her away, two broad shoulders mutants dragging her arms behind her back while she continued to rage against injustice  
“He’s not an animal, you can’t treat people like this,” she screamed as they took her away. “I will be back tomorrow and every day until you let me see him.” She was properly crying now, large angry tears her hands extending to reach anything in the area she could control to no avail.  
“Hermosa, you’re only making this worse for yourself...”

\---

Dr Morris sipped her tea and adjusted her glasses as she peered at her screen. Across the table Alex read his newspaper, the miniature print paper delivered to their apartment daily. He’d tried and failed to do his crossword, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He reached out absently to take a bite of toast, unaware that she was beaming at him.  
The door chimed, the mobility unit she called. She hopped up, setting down her reading.  
“Are you off, dear?” he looked up at her, adjusting his reading glasses.  
She scampered around the table to bump her snout against the side of his head.  
“I am yes, have a lovely day.”  
“You too,” he nuzzled her back. “Oh and Sybil...” she turned to look at him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

\---

The Asset stood with his hand on the back of the man who called himself Dewey. On anyone else it would be a possessive gesture but not here, not with him. The table was laid for four, the agent beamed with pride at the girls who were helping themselves to dinner, the dinner they’d cooked together.  
If the dining room weren’t located in the heart of a secret bunker, surrounded by surveillance monitors and half-dismantled weaponry, it could be any idyllic family scene. The Asset kissed the top of Dewey’s head and moved to close the doors to the kitchen. They closed with a heavy clang, as Sage passed a huge serving dish to the other girl. Their eyes met with an undeniable warmth, and it made Fracture glad to see Alina so happy.

\---

As Fracture stepped backwards through the ripple, they felt a strong pair of hands take hold and not let go. Alina pulled them close with a strong arm and a grin.  
“Hi.”  
“...hi,” Fracture relented with a sigh. It was always hardest to leave when she was like this. They wanted to stay, but knew better than that. They weren’t her Fracture, they weren’t anyone’s Fracture. When they kissed though, it was with the tenderness of years.  
“I’m glad I could see you today, if only for a minute,” she smiled against their soft skin.  
They threaded a gentle hand through her hair and breathed the scent of her.  
“Yeah, me too.” Fracture swallowed dryly and pulled away. Alina chased them for a second kiss and they both stopped, foreheads pressed together.  
“Until next time then?” she ventured, unlacing their fingers.  
“Until next time,” Fracture stepped away and into the ripple. “Always until next time.”

\---

“See you can dance when you put your mind to it, it’s just a question of calculating your footwork,” she smirked up at him, a twinkle in her grey eyes.  
“It’s actually a question of coordination and timing, while listening to the music, while YOU seem hell-bent on distracting me,” he swept his hair out his eyes, while she drew their bodies closer together. The bold colours of her Striped Eagle tattoo barely visible through the sheer fabric on her dress’ sleeve.  
Their heads tipped close together in a shared joke. “Also, Holly, will you stop leading,” Kalino hissed as she dragged his shoulder towards her.  
The music swelled and he dipped her. She clearly hadn’t been expecting it, her eyes wide.  
“Don’t you dare,” she breathed, but it was too late. Despite her protestations she didn’t resist his kiss, though she was clearly blushing, her strong arms wrapped behind his neck. All eyes were on them, but neither seemed to care.

\---

A couple knelt by the river staring at each other, while gentle snow fell around them. He looked at her intently, his hands resting on her shoulder.  
“No Bill, this is a terrible idea,” Rockatrice muttered her eyes downcast, already she was reaching for her hood to hide away, but he grabbed her gloved hand.  
“Will you shut up and trust me for two minutes!” he snapped, her hair bobbed and hissed, some snakes near the front dancing dangerously close to his face. He didn’t even flinch, he’d never been scared of snakes least of all Casey’s. Hers had always been kinda cute.  
“Why even bother, it’s not like it’ll change anything.”  
“Because it’s fucking Valentine’s Day, that’s why,” he said with a bitter scoff as if the day made any difference at all. “And because I like you, and because shut up.”  
Both of them laughed, a big stupid laugh, before Bill took a breath, psyching himself up for what came next.  
Flexing his fingers against her leather jacket, thin snakes coiled out of his tattered sleeves and tangled up in her hair. The hissing, writhing mess tugged her head back with a gasp and he took the moment to swoop in beneath her beak to kiss her. It was firm, but clumsy, one of Casey’s snakes slipping lose to bite him on the neck, but he didn’t care, it didn’t hurt that badly, and the sting of the venom actually didn’t feel that bad. ‘Damnit Bill, dont get a thing for that too’ he thought.  
Pulling away he brushed his mouth on his sleeve, the layer of grey crumbling away. His lips below were cracked and bleeding, grinning at her sweetly bemused expression, even as blood trickled down his chin.

\---

With a pop the bottle opened, Dr Amari sat on the cool stone floor. She’d put down her jacket but even then the hall was cold. Too expensive to heat for just one visitor. It had been find of them to let her in, she supposed they must feel sorry for her. She didn’t need their pity, she needed them to be better.  
She poured him a glass, then one for herself. Gazing upwards, she ignored the yawning maw of the Void Rat, instead focusing on the clearer lines of Dr Sublim. It was only like this, only properly looking at him that she could remember what it was like. The sound of his voice, the smell of his hair, the feel of his hands on her body.  
She drained half her glass in two swings, but it didn’t stop the tears. Raising it up towards him, she let her head fall back.  
“Not long now my love. Not long...”

\---

If it was strange to see Puck kissing Arcana, it was weirder still to see Puck kissing Fracture themself. Of course they had seen many versions of themselves throughout their travels, especially on today. It didn’t make it any less curious. They couldn’t resist a glance at them both, Puck pinning Fracture down on the grass both breathless and blushing.

If they didn’t know any better, Fracture could swear there was more of John in that smile than Puck. But it wasn’t a good idea to stick around in a world that already had a Fracture in it.  
They continued their search.

\---

Dr Kahananui stepped through the double doors of Protean City General Hospital with a sigh, the cool air on her face, though initially pleasant after running herself ragged inside, rapidly turned unpleasantly crisp. She rubbed a thumb down the side of her neck in an attempt to alleviate the tension built up there. She didn’t relish the idea of a drive home, she wasn’t dangerously tired, but she wasn’t far off.  
“Hey gorgeous,” smiling eyes met hers as he lounged against the hood of her car, just like the day she’d met him.  
“Palani? What are you doing here?” she stepped up to kiss his cheek in greeting, but didn’t expect to be gently swept up in his arms. It was strange, she had been surrounded by people all day, staring at charts, examining patients, bumping into other staff, shaking hands, touching people… But there was nothing to compare to the feeling when he held her like this, to be properly touched by someone.  
She could feel him smiling against the side of her cheek while he brushed the back of her head.  
“I just thought I’d come and meet you out of work,” he whispered.  
“But I worked an extra half shift.”  
“I know, I got some lunch, I waited around the foyer, I mucked about on my phone. I knew you’d be out eventually.” He raised a broad hand to press into the awkward knot at her shoulder and she groaned softly, completely surrendering. He hadn’t changed, in all these years he was still her ‘surf idiot’ with his broad shoulders and his perfect smile. He still gave her butterflies.  
“Plus it’s Valentine’s Day. And I’m going to cook, so I thought I’d come drive you, and pick up what I need on the way home.”  
“But you hate driving in the city.”  
He pulled away to kiss his wife’s forehead before grinning at her.  
“No big deal…”

\---

His fist made rapid contact with the wall, the drywall crumbling into the cheap carpet below. He knew it would be his problem to clean up tomorrow, but right now, here with a heart full of vodka and pain, he didn’t care. Crackdown could feel the shock of each blow jarring his shoulder. The people in the street below had been partying all afternoon, but he couldn’t bring himself to put an end to it.  
Even though their joy while he was hurting felt like an insult to him. Ramón imprisoned by FALCON was already devastating to everything they’d fought for, but why did it have to hurt so badly? Everyone was gone. Just him and Hermosa who was waging her war at city hall, not in the streets. Without Ramón it was meaningless.  
With a final and awful howl, he punched a hole clean through the wall and into the kitchen beyond. Ripping his arm out in a scatter of splinters that bit into his skin.  
Then and only then did Carlos cry, his arms slumped forward against the creaking panel.  
For as long as FALCON had him caged, he couldn’t be whole.

\---

The champagne sparkled as she filled Lunar Lens’ glass, smirking.  
“I don’t usually drink after a mission.”  
“Oh it’s the only way to celebrate, darling,” the Dilettante settled in beside her kicking off her heels slowly so she could tuck her feet up on the couch. She shifted closer to the younger woman, whose eyes were massive as she sipped her drink.  
Their glasses came together delicately, their faces lit by the glow of the firelight. Neither seemed willing to remove their masks, and neither cared.  
“You know, it isn’t the only way to celebrate after a mission,” the Dilettante whispered.

\---

John lay on his back on the dusty couch in his clocktower staring at the wall his arms twisted up in the cushions. He’d been crying some time, by the looks of things.  
It wasn’t apparent to Fracture just by looking, where in his descent he was, but no stage of this could be easy. Judging by the dust, none but him has been in the tower for a while, so they could assume that he’d been forgotten.  
Head bowed with fatigue, the nameless crystal fairy, who bore John’s likeness made its way across the room and lay down on the floor beside the boy. John reached out a shaking hand to brush the creature’s head.  
“I haven’t forgotten, John,” it whispered mournfully.  
“I know… I know.”

\---

Ben sat cross legged on the floor of Kalino’s bedroom, running his fingers across the new(ish) circuit boards. Both boys were practically entwined - Kalino mending a few Newton’s Thirds while Ben reprogrammed them.  
The older boy was so serious, focused intently on the fine work he was doing, his magnifiers dropped down over his dark eyes. Not for the first time that day, Ben leaned up to kiss his cheek earning a casual flap with the screwdriver.  
“Stop it,” the tone remained playful, even though the slightest mistake could undo the past ten minutes of work. Ben knew Kalino didn’t really care, it was just nice to spend some quiet time together.  
“Ok sorry, last one.” He didn’t even bother to pick up the board, instead he stretched his neck up to bite Kalino’s ear with a grin. The noise of alarm had been worth it. He fell back laughing while Kalino ripped off his magnifiers, throwing them with perfect aim at Ben’s head.  
“You are the worst!” he yelled, but unable to resist the younger boy’s laughter for long.

\---

Jack set down the tray with a flourish and all eyes went wide. His hot chocolates were hands-down, the best in all Protean City - massive, and chocolatey with more cream and marshmallows than anyone else - practically a meal in itself.  
Ben reclined against John, who draped a protective arm over his shoulder, practically enveloping the boy as he slid a mug before him. Likewise, Sage was sat with one leg hooked over Alina’s knee, helping herself to the whipped cream in both mugs. While Alina stole Sage’s marshmallows. Both girls were making a right mess of it, but neither seemed to mind.  
To make space, Kalino and Holly had opted for chairs, compared to the others both seemed calmer, more restrained. But had stirred their marshmallows into goo with a matched sort of focus, before she took the mug handle in her off hand. Taking an exploratory sip she dropped her hand down onto his leg, before finding his hand to lace their fingers together. He didn’t look at her, but grinned into his drink, blushing...

  
Fracture could feel their pace increasing, they were getting closer. No longer could they slip through the safer worlds as a ghost, now they would have to run through those on the brink of collapse. The ones they could do nothing to save.  
So many worlds ended in violence.  
They saw Windshear flying above the city, higher than he had a right to fly. The weight of the air behind him screamed with built up pressure, he flew to close the rift that threatened everything.  
He wouldn’t make it.

 

Far below, Hermosa Vida screamed as his body fell. Crackdown dragging her away, while she fought with every vine...  
… Puck jumped from rooftop to rooftop, falling into and out of portals like a human rollercoaster. Barely human now, he cracked with a dark energy, more fey than boy. Behind him the world came to pieces, things existed and then simply didn’t. Even Fracture could feel the probability of things becoming uncertain. The old Trickster had come to reclaim what was his…

  
...with no Dr Sublim to save them, the Void Rat consumed all. Fracture saw the last of humanity fleeing Earth, their spacecraft glinting in the dying light...

  
… The sky was hot and red, people ran and screamed towards salvation they would not find, this world would burn and no one would get in the way…

  
So many worlds end in violence and death.

  
Fracture stepped through the last ripple and stopped running. They were on the cliff that overlooked the bay. They breathed in that air. February 14th, evening, uncommonly warm for this time of year, this world had until the sunset before it stopped. They smiled and approached the figure already sat watching the wine streaked sky.  
“Fracture,” they said.  
“Fracture,” Fracture responded, and both laughed softly at their own weak joke. Possibly one of the only people in all creation who could meet themselves and sincerely enjoy the prospect.  
Fracture settled in beside themselves, resting a head on their shoulder while they were pulled into a close embrace. A warm hand came up to comb through their hair, sweeping it out of their face, and a kiss was pressed into their forehead.  
At the edges, the sun was beginning to come apart, filtering into the blackness that could have been night sky.  
The light was truly beautiful.  
Fracture closed their eyes and smiled, enjoying the warmth of their other self.  
Yes, so many worlds ended in violence. But some ended in love.


End file.
